Reports claim that Russia is mulling over banning the popular "entertainment, social networking, and news website" Reddit in the country following complaints over a thread showing how to grow certain narcotic plants.
Russia's department of communication - Roskomnadzor, in an official statement, said that the complaint was lodged by its federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Roskomnadzor officials in the circular noted that it had sent several notifications to Reddit asking it to remove the thread. "We assume that during the August holidays someone is too relaxed," the statement read.
The note posted on VKontakte, Russia most social media website, said that since there has been no response from Reddit, the website will be added on the list of blacklisted sites.
"If anyone has contacts with the Reddit administration, ask them to check their email for letters from Roskomnadzor, otherwise, due to technological features, many operators may block the whole site," the VKontakte post said.
In beginning, Internet censorship in Russia was introduced as a federal law to protect "...Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development."
But over the years, the blacklist was amended to include clauses that allow the country to block extremist content or rather any content it deems harmful.
The regulations are often abused to block criticism of the federal government or local administration. Among the list of website currently blocked in Russia also includes the Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) website. In Russia, it is now a criminal offence to promote JW website.
